Earning Maharaja Club Miles on Star Alliance Flights (Every Airline, Every Class)

You don't have to fly Air India to earn Maharaja Club miles. All 24 Star Alliance partner airlines let you earn Maharaja Points on their flights. But not all booking classes earn the same rate, and some earn zero.

Knowing the earning chart before you book can be the difference between getting full credit and getting nothing. A cheap economy fare on one airline might earn 100% of miles flown, while the same fare on another airline earns 25% or nothing at all.

This guide covers the full earning chart for every Star Alliance partner, broken down by booking class and cabin.

How Partner Earning Works

When you fly a Star Alliance partner airline and credit the flight to your Maharaja Club account, the miles you earn are based on the distance flown multiplied by a percentage. That percentage depends on the booking class of your ticket and the airline you're actually flying (the operating carrier, not the one that sold you the ticket).

This is different from how Air India's own flights work. On Air India flights, earning is spend-based (you earn Maharaja Points based on INR spent). On partner flights, it's distance-based with a class percentage applied.

A few rules to keep in mind:

• Operating airline matters. If you book through United but fly on a Lufthansa-operated plane, you earn at Lufthansa's rates, not United's.
• One FFP per flight. You can only credit each flight to one frequent flyer programme. If you credit to Maharaja Club, you can't also credit to KrisFlyer or Miles & More for the same flight.
• Tier Points from partner flights. You earn 1 Tier Point for every 2 Maharaja Points earned on partner flights. So a partner flight that earns you 2,000 Maharaja Points also gives you 1,000 Tier Points toward your Maharaja Club tier status.
• Processing time. Partner miles usually credit within 7 to 14 days after your flight. If they don't show up, you can file a retro claim for missing miles.

Airlines Most Relevant to Indian Flyers

Let's start with the airlines that Indian travellers actually fly the most. These are the ones where knowing the earning chart really matters for your bookings.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is one of the most popular partner airlines for Indian flyers, with direct flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata to Singapore. The earning rates are straightforward but not the most generous in Star Alliance.

Most economy fares from India to Singapore book into S, T, or Y classes, so you'll typically earn 100%. The discounted economy fares (H, W, M) still earn a decent 75%. No booking class on Singapore Airlines earns zero for Maharaja Club, which is a plus.

Retro claim window: 6 months

Lufthansa

Lufthansa is the most generous Star Alliance partner for Maharaja Club earning. First class earns a massive 300%, and even full-fare economy earns 150%. If you're flying to Europe through Frankfurt or Munich, crediting to Maharaja Club is often the best choice.

The cheapest economy fares (W, S, Q, V) still earn 50%, which is better than what many programmes give. And business class at 200% makes Lufthansa one of the best airlines to credit to Maharaja Club for racking up points quickly.

Retro claim window: 12 months

Thai Airways

Thai Airways connects several Indian cities to Bangkok and beyond to Southeast Asia and Australia. The earning structure is a bit more complex because rates differ for international, interline, and domestic Thai flights.

The good news is that almost all Thai Airways booking classes earn 100% or more for Maharaja Club. You're unlikely to end up on a zero-earning fare.

Retro claim window: 12 months

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines is a popular choice for Indian flyers connecting through Istanbul to Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The earning rates are solid across the board.

Watch out for V class fares on Turkish. At just 25%, you'd earn very little on a long-haul flight. Most economy fares book into Y, B, or M classes though, so 100% is the norm.

Retro claim window: 12 months

United Airlines

United is the main Star Alliance carrier for routes to the US. If you're flying to North America and crediting to Maharaja Club, here's what you earn.

United's cheapest economy fares (S, T, L, K, G, N) earn 50%. On a long DEL-EWR or BOM-SFO flight, that's still a decent number of miles given the distance. But if you can book into a higher class, you'll earn significantly more.

Retro claim window: 12 months

ANA (All Nippon Airways)

ANA flies direct from Delhi and Mumbai to Tokyo and is a favourite for travellers heading to Japan. The earning chart has quite a few tiers, so it's worth checking your booking class carefully.

ANA's cheapest fares (L, K, G) earn just 30%. On a Delhi to Tokyo flight of about 5,800 km, that's only around 1,740 miles. Compare that to 5,800 miles at 100% for a regular economy fare. If you're booking ANA specifically to earn Maharaja Points, check the fare class before paying.

Retro claim window: 7 months (shorter than most partners)

Air Canada

Air Canada connects India to Canada and North America. The earning rates vary quite a bit between international and domestic Canadian flights.

If you're connecting within Canada on a domestic segment, those S, T, L, G fares earn a paltry 15%. On international routes the same classes earn 50%, which is much more reasonable.

Retro claim window: 12 months

Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines has extensive connectivity from India to Africa via Addis Ababa, and it's one of the more generous partners for Maharaja Club earning in business class.

Business class at 200% is excellent. But note that the cheapest economy fares (H, Q, U) earn just 25%. Ethiopian often has very competitive fares to Africa, and those cheap tickets tend to be in the lower earning classes.

Retro claim window: 12 months

Other Star Alliance Partners

Here's the earning summary for the remaining Star Alliance airlines. The table shows the key rates for business class and economy, plus the retro claim window for each airline.

Aegean Airlines

Retro claim window: 12 months

Air China

Retro claim window: 12 months

Air New Zealand

Retro claim window: 6 months

Asiana Airlines

Retro claim window: 12 months

Austrian Airlines

Retro claim window: 6 months

Avianca

Retro claim window: 12 months

Brussels Airlines

Retro claim window: 6 months

Copa Airlines

Retro claim window: 6 months

Croatia Airlines

Retro claim window: 6 months

EgyptAir

Retro claim window: 12 months

EVA Air

Retro claim window: 12 months

LOT Polish Airlines

Retro claim window: 6 months

Shenzhen Airlines

Retro claim window: 12 months

South African Airways

Retro claim window: 6 months

SWISS

Retro claim window: 6 months

TAP Air Portugal

Retro claim window: 12 months

Retro Claims: Getting Credit for Past Flights

If you forgot to add your Maharaja Club number when booking, or if miles just didn't post after a partner flight, you can file a retroactive claim. The window for retro claims varies by airline:

12 months: Lufthansa, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Ethiopian Airlines, Aegean, Air China, Asiana, Avianca, EgyptAir, EVA Air, Shenzhen Airlines, TAP Portugal

7 months: ANA

6 months: Singapore Airlines, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, LOT Polish, Air New Zealand, South African Airways, SWISS

One important rule: for Star Alliance partner retro claims, you need to have been a Maharaja Club member on the date of travel. If you flew Singapore Airlines in January and only joined Maharaja Club in March, you can't retro-claim that January flight. This rule doesn't apply to Air India's own flights, where you can claim even if you weren't a member at the time of travel.

For the full retro claim process and what documents you need, check our guide to claiming missing Air India miles.

Tips for Maximising Your Earning

A few practical things to keep in mind when you're trying to earn as many Maharaja Points as possible from partner flights.

Check the booking class before you buy. When you're comparing fares on an airline's website, the fare name (like "Economy Lite" or "Economy Flex") doesn't tell you the booking class. You need to look at the fare details or the booking confirmation. The difference between a 100% and a 25% fare on a long-haul flight can be thousands of miles.

Book on the operating airline when possible. Codeshare flights can sometimes cause issues with mileage crediting. If you're flying on a Lufthansa-operated plane, booking directly with Lufthansa is the cleanest way to ensure your miles post correctly to Maharaja Club.

Remember: one FFP per flight. You can't double-dip. Pick the programme that gives you the best return for that specific flight. For flights on airlines like Lufthansa (300% first class, 200% business), Maharaja Club earning rates are often better than crediting to the airline's own programme.

SAS has left Star Alliance. As of August 31, 2024, SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) exited Star Alliance and joined SkyTeam. You can no longer earn Maharaja Club miles on SAS flights. If you have old SAS flights to retro-claim, the deadline has likely passed.

Book direct on airindia.com for AI flights. This isn't about partner earning, but worth mentioning: you get a bonus of +2 Maharaja Points per INR 100 when you book Air India flights directly on airindia.com or the Air India app. Partner flights don't have this bonus.

Earning Without Flying

Partner flights are a great way to build your Maharaja Points balance, but they're not the only way. Mag Miles transfer to Maharaja Club at 1:1, so you can earn Maharaja Points through everyday spending on the Magnify app even when you're not flying. Buy gift cards for Amazon, Swiggy, Uber, or other brands you already use, earn Mag Miles, and transfer them straight to your Maharaja Club account.

You can also transfer credit card reward points to Maharaja Club from banks like HDFC, Axis, and Amex. Between partner flights, credit card transfers, and Mag Miles, there are plenty of ways to keep your Maharaja Points balance growing.

And don't forget: your Maharaja Points won't expire as long as you fly Air India at least once every 24 months. So there's no rush to burn them. Build up your balance and wait for the right redemption.